Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soul Wars – Review

Finally, the Soul Wars box has landed at our doorstep. In this article we’re going to dissect the box and it’s contents to give you a heads-up on what to expect. Here we’ll find out exactly what you get in this new box and whether it holds up to expectations.

We’ll also go into the changes in 2nd edition brought with this box in another article. There we’ll see how Games Workshop have claimed to make a sleek game, somehow, even sleeker.

The Soul Wars Begin…

The Soul Wars box comes beautifully adorned with artwork from every angle. The new Age of Sigmar logo is plastered all over the box. The hero art on the front standing out cleanly in a dark, moody backdrop as can be seen at the top of this article. The reverse of the box is, of course, decorated with a large shot of both contained armies clashing on a battlefield.

When you remove the sleeve you’re greeted by, possibly, my favourite ever art piece from Age of Sigmar. Befitting of this box, it’s a grand army of Stormcast Eternals clashing head-on with the new Nighthaunt forces. Not to be dramatic, but it’s a little bit breathtaking. This artwork is printed on the top of the small box insert which contains the sprues, which we’ll touch on later.

Lifting that box of sprues out, you’re met head-on with the brand new core rulebook for Age of Sigmar. The book is gratifyingly hefty as well as covered in a lovely, glossy bit of artwork. I feel it worthy of note that a female Stormcast character sits front and centre on the rulebook. I like to think that this shows the hobby is clearly on the right path in terms of inclusion and diversity.

Digging Deeper

Beneath the book is the booklet “Battle for Glymmforge” which contains information on the units and some scenarios to play with the contained models. Included with this are handy warscoll cards that have all the information needed for the new models. This is a handy addition as, if there’s one thing that slows my game down, it’s scouring through books.

Beyond this you get a bag of somewhat pretty dice in a very eerie greenish-blue, akin to the colour of the box. You also get a small sheet of decals for the Stormcast models as well as a 12″ range ruler. So, effectively, you have everything you need in this box to get cracking with games as soon as humanly possible. It’s also worth pointing out that the models themselves are push-fit! That means getting your armies to play in even less time than normal.

Our New Heroes & Villains

Speaking of the models, let’s list out the brand new inclusions within the Soul Wars box!

Stormcast Eternals

Lord-Arcanum on Gryph-charger

Knight-Incantor

3x Evocators

5x Castigators

8x Sequitors

Celestar Ballista

The Stormcast Eternals look as typically heroic as we’ve come to expect. Resplendent in dense armour whilst now manning awesome-looking ballista or charging in on a giant gryph beast. The models do add some variety to the somewhat stale Stormcast lineup. However, it would be nice for Games Workshop to start mixing it up with the forces of Order in these boxes. Sure, Stormcast are the poster children and for Age of Sigmar, but this Soul Wars box felt like an opportunity to shuffle the deck a little. Maybe some Seraphon next time, perhaps?

Shuffling in eerily to confront these samey thunder warriors are the brand new Nighthaunt models!

Nighthaunt

Knight of Shrouds on Ethereal Steed

Lord Executioner

Guardian of Souls

Spirit Torment

4x Grimghast Reapers

5x Glaivewraith Stalkers

20x Chainraps

These guys feel like the stars of the show. The Death line of models has been offensively under-refreshed since the launch of Age of Sigmar. With these new additions it feels like the wait was worth it. Whilst the fragile and seemingly delicate build of some of these models gives me the fear of easy damage, the models look too exquisite to pass up.

My personal favourites from the Nighthaunt would be the Guardian of Souls as well as the Glaivewrath Stalkers. The Guardian of Souls has a huge staff seeping otherworldly smoke whilst donning an noticeably distinguished helm. The Stalkers are a very unsettling combination of man and beast given unlife. It suits their lore beautifully and makes them seem a particularly perturbing sight on the battlefield.

Reclaim the Realms

I expected high things from Soul Wars and Games Workshop have absolutely delivered. As ever, quality from Games Workshop is so rarely an issue it barely warrants mention. The art is impeccable, the models are superb and the rulebook with accompanying literature are all supremely attractive. However, there was a blemish on this otherwise wonderful box. It seems that in a rush to build the box and put it together there’s been some slight damage. Once the celophane was off I noticed a tear in one of the box corners and the same was for the other cardboard elements within the main box.

However, the actual contents themselves are fine. With that in mind it’s very difficult to complain about the contents within this box. Sure, I’m getting a little tired of Stormcast, they’re always in the spotlight and I long for the more varied forces of Order to get some love. This personal irk to one side, the box is the perfect way to start Age of Sigmar. The Soul Wars box feels like it could appeal to so many people. Suiting as an introduction to the hobby cannot be argused. Those who already love Age of Sigmar will find great additions to their collections. Whether you’re a Death player wanting some new models, or a Stormcast fanatic looking for some long-sought-after artillery, Soul Wars is the next step in advancing the Age of Sigmar.

For more on Age of Sigmar and all things tabletop, be sure to keep checking back here on our site. Don’t forget our Facebook, too!

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